Again, that is NOT the bottom line. Just because a pattern has a name and marketing to go with it, you are not required to do anything more than bowl on it. USBC cannot mandate such a decision, and more importantly, it is completely INCAPABLE of enforcing it either.

I have seen and bowled on many conditions that were much more difficult than the PBAX patterns out now. Those patterns didn't have names and weren't marketed at all. If these patterns were put out today, chances are most bowlers wouldn't even know they were bowling on something more difficult. And I would bet that MOST wouldn't be screaming/complaining about it because they wouldn't know it was anything out of the ordinary (at least as it pertains to the THS).

As it pertains to Nationals, I will put it simply: bowlers who have a clue have the advantage. Unfortunately, the vast majority of bowlers that go to Nationals do not. If you average 160, but you know how to play the lanes at National you have the advantage. Yet there are many Regular division bowlers who are 200+ on the THS, who have no clue how to play the lanes...these bowlers are often outscored by the Classified bowlers who have a clue.